The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has refuted claims that it requested or received any payment from the family of Nana Agyei Ahiya, the Ghanaian student who passed away under contested circumstances in Latvia.
In a press statement issued on Monday, February 2, 2026, the Ministry refuted social media reports suggesting officials asked the bereaved family to make payments to facilitate travel to Latvia. It also rejected assertions that government representatives traveled without a family member or that a fake airline ticket was issued to the student’s mother.
“At no time has the Ministry, or any government official acting on its behalf, demanded or received any form of payment from the family,” the statement said. “For the avoidance of doubt, the Government of Ghana is fully covering all travel arrangements.”
The case has attracted national attention since Nana Agyei Ahiya’s death in June 2025 in Riga, Latvia. Latvian authorities initially reported that she died after falling from a sixth-floor apartment, a conclusion disputed by her family, who have raised concerns over gaps in the investigation and called for an independent and transparent probe.
In August 2025, the family formally petitioned the Ministry, citing the absence of forensic reports, lack of CCTV review, and what they viewed as a premature ruling of suicide. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, confirmed that the government had engaged diplomatic channels to investigate the matter and support the family.
As part of these efforts, a fact-finding mission from Ghana’s Embassy in Germany—which covers Latvia—visited Riga and submitted a preliminary report to the Ministry.
The statement clarified that travel arrangements for two family members had been scheduled for January 31, 2026, but could not proceed because Latvian authorities had not issued their visas. The delay, the Ministry explained, was due to incomplete documentation presented during visa appointments.
It also addressed a document circulating online as proof of a confirmed airline ticket, explaining that it was only an itinerary generated to support the visa application. “She was expressly informed that the document in her possession was not a confirmed ticket, but merely an itinerary, and that travel was not possible without her passport,” the statement said.
The Ministry noted that the student’s mother had been informed multiple times that travel could not proceed due to pending visas and her passport being held at the embassy. Despite this, she reportedly went to the airport with bloggers attempting to travel using the itinerary.
The Ministry warned that false claims and public agitation were complicating efforts to secure the necessary visas and move the investigation forward. “The deliberate distortion of facts and circulation of misinformation on a matter of this gravity are deeply regrettable and undermine the quest for justice,” it said.
The Ministry appealed to the public and media to allow due process to take place, assuring continued support for the family and ongoing efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the student’s death. It added that engagement with Latvian authorities was ongoing and expressed hope that the outstanding visas would soon be issued to enable the family to participate in the investigation.